{"id":736,"date":"2025-08-26T03:33:19","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T03:33:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/?page_id=736"},"modified":"2025-11-19T02:16:05","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T02:16:05","slug":"3dpi-three-dimensional-positron-imaging","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/index.php\/research-and-development\/3dpi-three-dimensional-positron-imaging\/","title":{"rendered":"Three-Dimensional Positron Imaging in LAr"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"736\" class=\"elementor elementor-736\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-40a085f e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"40a085f\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d15535a e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"d15535a\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-653b072 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"653b072\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em><strong>Author: Azam Zabihi<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-34eed12 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"34eed12\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What is PET?\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ea3a7f2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ea3a7f2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a leading imaging technique used in cancer detection, neurological studies, and heart diagnostics. PET doesn\u2019t just show organ structure\u2014it reveals abnormal metabolic activity, often before physical changes appear<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><p>Here\u2019s how it works: a small amount of radioactive tracer is injected into the body, where it accumulates in metabolically active tissues like cancer cells. As the tracer decays, it emits positrons that collide with electrons, producing pairs of gamma photons (511 keV) that travel in opposite directions. A PET scanner detects these photons to create high-resolution images of the body\u2019s internal processes.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-08299d5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"08299d5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">3D\u03c0PET, Redefining PET Imaging with Dark Matter Technology<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a7491c4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a7491c4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">3D\u03c0PET brings breakthroughs from dark matter research into medical imaging, offering faster scans, lower radiation doses, and sharper images. Built on cutting-edge cryogenic detector technology, it represents the next generation of Positron Emission Tomography (PET).\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These include innovations in cryogenic photosensor technology, liquid argon (LAr) detectors, and low-radioactivity argon procurement. The DarkSide collaboration has successfully applied these technologies in physics experiments, and 3D\u03c0 leverages them to transform PET imaging.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3D\u03c0 shifts away from traditional segmented detectors by using a monolithic, xenon-doped LAr scintillator, read out by multiple fast cryogenic silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) simultaneously. This unique design provides total-body (TB) coverage, significantly improves time-of-flight (TOF) resolution, reduces patient radiation doses, and allows for much faster scans. The system&#8217;s foundation in advanced cryogenic and low-background techniques borrowed from dark matter research enables higher image resolution and better detection efficiency, pushing the limits of conventional PET technology.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9cce8dd elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"9cce8dd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"805\" height=\"591\" src=\"http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/3dpi1.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-737\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/3dpi1.png 805w, http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/3dpi1-300x220.png 300w, http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/3dpi1-768x564.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 805px) 100vw, 805px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">CAD model of the 3D\u03c0 detector with a human\nphantom. The ends of the cylinder are left open without a\nfull cryostatic enclosure to show the LAr layers.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9f88fca e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"9f88fca\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f9582e8 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"f9582e8\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-84bfe0b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"84bfe0b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Key features<span><\/span><span><\/span><br><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5823bf7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5823bf7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">LAr as a Scintillator: Liquid argon offers fast scintillation properties, producing more photons per unit of energy than conventional materials. Its scalability and lower costs make it ideal for large-volume detectors.<\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Xenon Doping: Adding xenon to LAr improves light detection and shortens the long decay time of scintillation light. This helps in clearer image formation and reduces the risk of overlapping photon signals, which could degrade image quality.<\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Fast Cryogenic SiPMs: The advanced SiPMs used in 3D\u03c0 provide high photon detection efficiency (PDE) and excellent timing resolution. These sensors work well at cryogenic temperatures, making them perfect for use with LAr-based detectors, and enhance image quality through improved light yield.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bfe66a5 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"bfe66a5\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-93ea1a4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"93ea1a4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">How 3D\u03c0PET Stands Out?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1850319 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1850319\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Monolithic Detector<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:\u00a0<\/span>Captures single Compton scatter events more precisely than segmented crystals.<\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Reduced Scan Time<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:\u00a0<\/span>Ultra-fast electronics and SiPMs speed up the process, improving patient comfort and clinical workflow.<\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Lower Radiation Doses<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:\u00a0<\/span>Optimized for smaller amounts of radioactive tracer, making scans safer.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3ac2bd9 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3ac2bd9\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-19c7a5f elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"19c7a5f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"877\" height=\"625\" src=\"http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/3dpi2.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-738\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/3dpi2.png 877w, http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/3dpi2-300x214.png 300w, http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/3dpi2-768x547.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 877px) 100vw, 877px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\"> Relationship between NECR and activity\nconcentration for both configurations, compared with the\npeak Noise Equivalent Count Rate values of uExplorer [24] and J-PET<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-97847c9 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"97847c9\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-17cbb5e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"17cbb5e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 data-start=\"2532\" data-end=\"2558\"><span style=\"color: rgb(110, 193, 228); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 600; white-space-collapse: preserve;\">Our Research Roadmap<\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4d2bac9 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4d2bac9\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1e613cb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1e613cb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The next step in our research is to secure funding for experimental work. We are actively pursuing grants to transition from simulation to building a prototype 3D\u03c0 scanner. This experimental phase will validate the results obtained from our simulations and pave the way for real-world applications of the system in clinical PET imaging.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>For full technical details, see our publication:\u00a0<span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/1361-6560\/adbaac\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Azam Zabihi\u00a0et al\u00a02025\u00a0Phys. Med. Biol.\u00a070\u00a0065015<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Author: Azam Zabihi What is PET? Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a leading imaging technique used in cancer detection, neurological studies, and heart diagnostics. PET doesn\u2019t just show organ structure\u2014it reveals abnormal metabolic activity, often before physical changes appear. Here\u2019s how it works: a small amount of radioactive tracer is injected into the body, where [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":629,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"0","ocean_second_sidebar":"0","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"0","ocean_custom_header_template":"0","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"0","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"0","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"0","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-736","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=736"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/736\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":946,"href":"http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/736\/revisions\/946"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/629"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ds-web.lngs.infn.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}